Feigned Happiness, True sorrow
by Nejiwedgie8
Summary: Katsuo Kenshin has to take Chunin exams at the leaf.She meets the jonin, Neji Hyuuga who hates her beacuse of how annoyng she is.But he doesn't realize that her joy is all an act.Will acceptance rise when they are forced to work together? Or there be love


The sunlight beat down from the sky and shone across the faces of Team 18 of the sand village. A genin of the team wiped sweat from her face. She glanced at her comrades; Atsushi Hiro and Keppei Hitsnami. The shadow from her sensei, Kyoko Rei covered her face as she ran a step ahead of the only female genin. "Quicken your pace, Katsuo," she said, "otherwise we'll be late." Katsuo turned her face from her superior's gaze. "Yes, sensei," she replied. They had finished crossing the desert five hours ago and were in the grassy clearing in the field. "Ooh! Look!" Atsushi exclaimed, excitedly, "The forest is coming up!" Katsuo got ready to jump with every foot closer they got. They ran up a tree of their own until they reached a branch close to the top. They hopped from branch to branch, a quicker pace than before in their travel.

Keppei sighed. "Stupid trees," he grumbled, "I don't know how the shinobi of the stupid village in the stupid leaves with their stupid Hokage could hop on these stupid trees. It's just stupid." Kyoko and Atsushi rolled their eyes, groaning. There Keppei went again ranting about how stupid things were. It was very annoying, but his comrades dealt with it. Kyoko and Atsushi were still easily annoyed but Katsuo didn't give much of a damn. She giggled at Kyoko and Atsushi's actions. Her giggle then erupted into a laughed, drenched with extreme hysteria of snort and chokes. The rest of the team chuckled. That was Katsuo, always luring people into her uncontrollable fits. Keppei blushed on seeing her smiling at him. He cleared his throat. "Um… why are you… watching me like… th… that?" he asked in a stammer. "You look down," she said simply, "Everything should be lifted with a smile, right?" Keppei blushed even more.

"I… I guess…" Atsushi rolled his eyes. "Katsuo, I can never understand you, you're always in a good mood," he said, "even after your parents…" Kyoko clamped her hand over his mouth in time. "Um… let's all be quiet since were in an, um… unfamiliar country to us," she said nervously, "we don't want to run into to any enemies, right?" Atsushi broke from her grip and stepped forward. "Bring it on! I can take them!" he yelled. Kyoko reached out to clobber him for disobeying her but he stepped off the side of a tree and manoeuvred himself, in a back flip, to meet Katsuo's side. "I wish Keppei was more like you," he said to Katsuo, "You're always in a good mood when he's complaining… it's like he has PMS or something…" Keppei glared murderously at Atsushi. "Like it's always that time of the month of something…" Atsushi continued ", Like he's a woman or something… "

"Um… is that supposed to be a compliment?" Katsuo asked. "If he was like you and if he really is a woman," Atsushi continued as if he hadn't heard her, "He would have a smokin' body! You know, if he _was_ like you…" All the other members on the team were glaring at the perverted, blue-haired Atsushi, now. "Again," Katsuo growled, "is that supposed to be a compliment?" Atsushi shrugged. "Do you feel flattered by my words?" he asked. "Yes," she said sarcastically, "you make me feel like a better woman!" "So does that mean you'll go out with me?" he asked, smirking. Keppei's anger toward his male comrade deepened. There he went again, flirting with the girl he liked. Katsuo sighed in frustration then smirked at Atsushi. "I would definitely go out with you…" she said. Atsushi grinned. Keppei was extremely angry now, while at the same time, surprised. "…In a parallel universe," she finished. Atsushi's hopes disappeared as quickly as they were brought up.

"That," Atsushi said, "was just really mean." "And you," Katsuo said, "are just really perverted and dumb." He sulked even more as she got farther in front of him, with greater speed. Keppei grinned. Of course she would never go out with a jerk like him! He had his chance with her, after all. "Down!" Kyoko ordered. They all jumped off the trees and in front of a very tall gate marked with kanji on each door. They looked up and saw the symbol of the leaf village. "We're here," Kyoko said. "I wonder if there are any hot chicks here," Atsushi said with a smirk. He glanced at Katsuo who, along with Keppei and Kyoko, was glaring at him. "I bet," he said to her, "that none of them are even half as hot as you are." "Really," she said, "You're complements aren't really good, you know…" Keppei smacked the back of his head, knocking him to the dirty ground. "Stop disrespecting her like that!" he yelled. Atsushi yelped in pain as he rubbed his head, while getting up. "I don't get it," he said to Keppei, "Why do you only attack me when I flirt with Katsuo and not other girls?" Keppei coughed and covered his face to hide his blush. "B…because we're a team and you shouldn't be…"

Kyoko saw right through his crush and decided to spare his embarrassment by saying, "We should probably hurry up and go inside." He shot her a grateful look. They followed her inside. Two men at the gate eyed them. "Your names and passport please."

"Kyoko Rei, jonin-sensei of Team 18 of the sand," she announced, holding up her passport. They all did they same.

"Atsushi Hiro."

"Keppei Hitsnami."

"Katsuo Kenshin."

One of the men with a bandage on his face nodded. "And you're all here for the chunin exams, right?" They nodded. "Go on in," he said smiling warmly, "And good luck." Katsuo shot him a huge grin. "Thanks!" she exclaimed. They headed off into the streets. "She's a nice girl," Izumo said.

--

Katsuo shut the door of her hotel room. She sighed as she settled onto her bed. The Chunin exams were very big. She lay back and looked up at the ceiling. Katsuo Kenshin may seem like the happy girl who cheers everyone up on the outside, but on the inside she's completely screwed up. She covers every painful feeling she has with laughter and forced happiness. She dug her red nails into the sheets in rage. What was there really to laugh about when your own parents were slaughtered in front of your eyes? She would just have to live that through like how she became a ninja and turned 15 and everything without them. She would have to accept that her parents were never going to see her at her most important moments ever again. She heard a loud crash. She grabbed a kunai knife and sat up immediately.

"Atsushi?"

"Oh… hey…"

"What were you doing in the vents?"

"I… was… checking to see if it…was safe?"

"To crawl though?" Her voice reeked of suspicion.

"Erm… Yep!"

She glared. "Were you spying on me to see if I would change my clothes?"

"Damn! How did you…?! Um... no…"

She cracked her knuckles as she moved towards him.

"Hey… I… Wait! Hey! Don't…!"

She grabbed his shirt collar and slammed him into the wall, hard. She stormed to him and grabbed his neck and gripped it tight.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

She growled but then noticed Atsushi's expression.

"I noticed something when I was spying on you," he said, "You looked very sad… and angry… not happy like always."

"Yeah, so?" She let go of him.

"Is it your parents?" he asked, sadly.

She smiled a convincing, but false smile. "Nah! I was just relaxing my face!"

"Katsuo…" He neared her, with a saddened look, "You don't have to hide…" He stroked her cheek with his palm as his face grew closer to hers. "Talk to me."

She backed away from him, not breaking her smile. She neared the window. "Don't worry, Atsushi! I'm fine!"

"Kats…" he started.

She jumped out her window.

--

Neji Hyuuga walked across the streets of his home town. He was extremely exhausted from that mission he had, not to mention he had to make preparations for the Chunin exams, as he was a jonin an all. He dusted some dirt off his sleeve. "Mister! Look out!" he heard someone cry. He looked up. A girl about the age of fifteen, tallish, long black hair that was wavy at the braid, that was wrapped in barb wire and deep blue eyes. He noticed that she had a headband with the symbol of the sand village on it. She landed on top of him. If he had all that time to notice her in detail, then why didn't he move? "Sorry!" she apologized, giggling, "I have to watch where I land next time!" Neji twitched, outraged. "Yeah," he growled, "you should!" He shoved her off him.

"Ow! Don't be so hard!" she yelped, "You're lucky you're not a guy, 'cause I hate to kick girls' butts!"

"G…g …g …g…g…. GIRL?! I'M A MAN!!"

"Oh… then you must use the same shampoo as me! It's great for dandruff if you use it more, flaky!"

If looks could kill, Katsuo would be sliced to bits by Neji's glare. "Are you here for the chunin exams?" he asked. She nodded, happily. Neji smirked and made evil plans to sabotage her scores later.

"You're in the exam too, Miss?" she asked.

" No, I'm a Jonin and…I TOLD YOU I AM A MAN!!"

"Sorry, I forgot… it's you hair… but I guess your chest is flat so I could remember… Unfortunately…" She pointed to his crotch. "I might make a mistake since you have a very small…"

"You know what?!" Neji interrupted, "I don't give a shit, SO GO AHEAD AND DIE!!"

He stormed off. "Hey!" she called after him, "what's your name?!"

"Neji Hyuuga…"

"Neji? That rhymes with wedgie …"

"Yeah," he growled, "I noticed."

--

Btw, EternalVampress (who is still Sali-Hime :P to me…) came up with the Katsuo idea, so if you like the character thank her…(Sadly, I hadn't gotten everything in her profile correct so far… I'm so pathetic, I messed it up…)


End file.
